Uber Swaps Roads For Tracks With Train Bookings From UK To Europe

Uber rides are heading to tracks. The car-riding platform is expanding its service to incorporate trains, as part of a new partnership with travel search and ticketing service Omio. 

The Berlin-based company is lending its API to Uber to bring intercountry travel around Europe to users in the UK. Through this Uber Travel platform, users will be able to book trains, including the Eurostar, to destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, and Brussels.

This will come in handy with the global surge in vacations as the travel industry returns to its pre-COVID days. Added to that are the aggravations in climate change that are pushing people to find greener ways to travel.

The UK remains Uber’s second-largest market, solidifying the decision to begin its new venture in the country.

Omio, on the other hand, has previously created its own app services for its customers. However, its true prowess lies in creating APIs for B2B customers. The co-founder of Omio, Nareen Shaam, told TechCrunch that Uber was the first company to gain full access to its ground transport inventory.

Omio covers over 1,000 different transport providers in 37 countries at present. This includes actual transport providers as well, such as LNER from the UK.

According to TechCrunch, the partnership looks hopeful about bringing the venture into the US in the future and is using the UK as a way to set its wheels in motion.

[via TechCrunch and Travel Tomorrow, cover image via Emil02050/Pixabay (CC0)]